The Long Lost Cartwright
by anakinsgirl8
Summary: A girl arrives in Virginia City claiming to know Adam Cartwright...who is she and how does she know Adam?
1. Chapter 1

It was quite an ordinary day for the Cartwrights

It was quite an ordinary day for the Cartwrights. Ben and Hoss were in California on a business trip to hopefully acquire more cattle for the ranch. Joe had taken it upon himself to go into town and put in some of the money made during the last cattle drive into the bank. He enthusiastically took this job because he was plumb tired of Adam's orders around the house; don't get him wrong, he would do anything for his older brother but sometimes he could be such a pain! Ordering him to complete chores all the time, Joe was quite anxious for his father to come home.

Joe had just left the bank and was walking around the street to where Cochise was when he came to a halt; he saw a beautiful young woman strolling along the street. She had flowing dark brown curls that elegantly hung down her back. She looked around at the different shops, evidently looking a bit lost. Joe, always the perfect gentlemen and having a strong desire to introduce all young women to Virginia City, hurriedly caught up with her. Taking his hat off and bowing slightly, he grinned at her and introduced himself.

"Howdy, m'am. You look a little lost, do you need help getting somewhere? The name's Joe Cartwright and I'd be more than happy to assist you." She glanced up towards his face, and Joe realized that she looked younger than he had originally thought. She looked to be no more than 16 years old. Her beautiful green eyes rested on his face thoughtfully until he had said his name. At that point, her face looked drawn and clouded.

"Excuse me, did you say your name was Cartwright?" Joe grinned. "That's right miss, maybe you've heard of us Cartwrights elsewhere?" She looked sad and cast her eyes downward. "I used to know Adam." Joe's grin fell; just when he thought he could escape from Adam, he somehow always crept back into the conversation!

"How do you know my brother? I think I would remember if I saw a pretty thing like you around these parts." The girl smiled, showing a full set of pearly white teeth. "This is my first time in Virginia City, or in the West for that matter. I grew up back East in Massachusetts. That's where I met Adam, he was going to school then."

Joe raised his eyebrow. "Why, you mustn't have been more then a little kid back when Adam was there. How could you remember him?" Again she shifted her eyes down. "He was a good friend of my Mom's, used to come visit a lot." Then her eyes met his. "I was very sad to hear about your brother." Joe was taken back. "What about Adam?" The girl tilted her head and an utter look of confusion was plastered upon her face. "Well…I mean…I know that he…passed away awhile ago." It was Joe's turn to look confused. "Adam? My brother, Adam Cartwright? Last time I checked he was part of the living," he said, grinning slightly. Her face paled as her mouth opened slightly. For a split second Joe thought she might faint but then quickly composed herself. "Oh…well, that's…that's good to hear. Shows how reliable the newspapers are huh?" She laughed slightly. Joe grinned; she had the most beautiful laugh! "Well, miss, as much as I love talking about my brother, I believe you need to be escorted somewhere?" And he held out his arm for her to take. She smiled and reached out to grab his arm when she heard a sharp shout.

"Elizabeth Marie, I have been looking for you everywhere!" Elizabeth Marie, Joe thought. Now he knew her name. He couldn't help but notice Elizabeth tense up as the man approached. The man appeared to be quite burly and was beginning to show the signs of baldness on top of his head. He was wearing a very fancy grey suit, a little too fancy for Virginia City. Joe frowned slightly. "I got bored so I figured I'd take a walk. I didn't realize I was so long, I'm sorry," Elizabeth quickly stumbled over the words as she bowed her head. The man looked at Joe and shaking his head, he chuckled. "Women, they never can estimate time very well!" Joe grinned ever so slightly; he had a very uncomfortable feeling about this guy. "My name's Mitch Appatow, I appreciate you offering to escort my daughter around town." Joe shook his hand. "Nice to meet you sir, and the pleasure was all mine." He winked at Elizabeth. "The name's Joe, Joe Cartwright."

At the mention of his name, Mitch's eyes ever so slightly slid over to his daughter before returning to Joe. Joe could feel Elizabeth stiffen even more next to him. "Well, I thank you once again Mr. Cartwright. Elizabeth, do you think you can find your way back to the hotel in a reasonable amount of time?" She nodded quickly before turning to Joe. "It was nice meeting you sir." Joe just smiled and nodded. As soon as the girl was out of earshot, Mitch took a few steps closer to Joe. "I'd like to thank you for being so kind to my daughter, really. Thing is, she's so shy and delicate-like that I'm sure this interaction probably startled her a little. If I were you, I wouldn't keep my eye out for her." He then smiled and walked away, leaving Joe feeling sorry that the young lady had such a bad companion.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, that trip to town didn't end up being long after all," came Adam's sarcastic greeting as soon as Joe had entered the yard in front of the ranch house

"Well, that trip to town didn't end up being long after all," came Adam's sarcastic greeting as soon as Joe had entered the yard in front of the ranch house. "Yeah, I guess I could have extended my stay a little longer," Joe said smirking. "I was just so busy being a gentleman and all that I lost some track of time." Adam raised one eyebrow, "You, a gentleman, since when?" He could barely hold himself back from chuckling.

Joe frowned. "Yeah but brother I seem to remember a lot more girls taken by me than you lately." As soon as they had entered the house, Joe turned to face Adam.

"By the way, I ran into a young lady in town today. Says she knows you."

"Really? Someone succumbing to your charm _and_ yet knows me? Sounds awful curious," Adam said laughing. Joe laughed as well.

"Yeah pretty hard to believe, huh? Her name was Elizabeth, Elizabeth Marie."

Adam froze on his way to the dinner table. Joe just gave him a curious look.

"The name ring any bells?" Adam slowly sat down. "Well, of course….I know the name…but…but this person couldn't be the same…same person." Joe looked up at him from across the table.

"Well, who was this Elizabeth Marie you once knew?" Joe managed to spit out while trying to shovel in as much food as humanly possible.

"My daughter," Adam said resignedly.

Joe began to choke. "Your daughter?! Since when do you have a _daughter_?" Adam sighed, pushed his plate away and put his head in his hands.

"Look Joe, I haven't told this to anyone alright? Not even Pa." He sighed before continuing. "When I went away to college, I met this woman called Beatrice. She was a dancer that would perform at a studio not too far from my college. Anyways, we fell in love and things happened very quickly…long story short, she got pregnant. She was scared, but of course I wouldn't just leave her, I loved her. We'd always planned to get married, it was just a little sooner than either of us expected. While I was at school I took up a job to pay for the apartment we lived in. I was really, really happy Joe." Adam smiled in reminiscence. "Once I graduated, you knew I always intended to come back to the Ponderosa. Beatrice promised she'd go with me, and we'd all make a life together here." Adam's face clouded over and once again put his face in his hands for a few minutes before continuing. "Two days before we were going to leave, I was coming home from work. The apartment building we lived in was in flames. I just remember feeling so out of control. I tried to run into the building but a group of police officers grabbed me. They told me that the building was too unstable for anyone to enter but that all the survivors were taking refuge in the school house nearby. Needless to say, my wife and daughter weren't there. I tracked down all of the people we knew, trying to see if there was any evidence that my family was still alive. But everyone I spoke with said the same thing: the last place they had seen Beatrice and Elizabeth was in the apartment building." Here Adam paused for a moment. "I was devastated. Luckily, I was supposed to leave two days later so I just took off. When I got home, I was so happy to be surrounded by family again. I just assumed it would be easier to try to be the old Adam again." He swallowed. "Pa knew I was unhappy at first, but he just figured I was simply adjusting back to life out west. Pretty soon, months and years went by and it was just easier not to talk about it." At this point Adam stopped. He looked at Joe then walked over to the couch and sat down. Joe sat at the table, just taking everything in. Then he sat down on the table in front of the couch.

"I'm so sorry Adam." He put his hand on his big brother's shoulder. "Do you think the girl I met in town is your…your daughter?"

Adam sighed. "I don't know, I mean how can she be? I was told she died in the fire."

"Yeah but what if she is Adam?! Did you ever see…you know….you know…?"

"No!" Adam snapped. "I didn't, every thing in that apartment was completely destroyed, including people. Are you insinuating I didn't look hard enough?"

Joe held up his hands. "No, Adam, I'm just saying maybe this girl is your daughter! I mean, can you imagine?" He laughed. "I could be an uncle!"

Adam stood up. "Do you know how many times over the last 13 years I've dreamed of Beatrice and Elizabeth walking through that front door?" Adam barked. "I've thought about it almost every single day, Joe. But it's no use. They're dead." He sat down and put his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking slightly.

"Adam, how old would Elizabeth be?" Joe gently asked. Adam barely mumbled, "16 years and two months."

"Adam, I know you wouldn't want to get your hopes up…but this could be her. I mean the girl I met was probably that age and she had dark hair like you!"

Adam looked up at Joe through glassy eyes. "Do you really think this could be her?"

"It could be, brother. I mean she remembered you and got this weird expression on her face when I introduced myself as a Cartwright…Oh, and she thought you were dead!"

"What?"

"Yeah, she said something like that."

Adam sighed. "Who was this girl with?" Joe had a disgusted look on his face. "Her dad, this guy named Mitch Appatow. I got the weirdest feeling about him, Adam…Adam what's wrong?" Adam had risen to his feet and had a murderous look upon his face. "The name was Appatow, right, you know for sure?" he spat out. Joe looked bewildered. "Yeah, of course." Adam growled. "Mitch was a friend of Beatrice's family. He always had a sweet spot for her. But she was too smitten on me to notice him. He approached me several times, said I wasn't right for her and that her family knew what was best for her. We got into several fights. He didn't even stop when we got married; he would come by the apartment when I would leave for work and try to force himself inside. The guy was bad news." Adam then whirled around to look at Joe. "If that girl is really my Elizabeth, and he's been with her all these years…" He balled his fists and went to grab his gun belt. Joe, for once being the sensible brother, grabbed his arm. "Adam, it's almost nightfall outside. Let's wait till tomorrow to ride to town, ok? I'm sure the creep will still be there. I'll come with ya, alright?" Adam curtly nodded and turned back to the couch.

"So, tell me everything that happened when you were in town today."


	3. Chapter 3

Adam and Joe had arrived at the International House very early the next morning

Adam and Joe had arrived at the International House very early the next morning. Joe normally would have complained at so early an hour but he was full of anticipation of they day's events. He wasn't even sure he was this girl's uncle but he was already feeling quite protective over her. Both he and Adam had agreed over breakfast that they would start out at the International House to see if Mitch was around and then go from there. Upon arrival, they discovered Mitch had already left to do some business. They were told he had left alone.

Adam held the piece of paper that contained the room number Mitch was staying in tight in his hand. Joe turned to him once they were out of the receptionist's earshot. "Well, why not go up and knock on the door and see if Elizabeth is there? You probably won't have a better chance to get her alone." Adam keep twisting the paper around and around in his hand. He cleared his throat. "You're right, I guess there's no better time to see if she really is who we think she is." Joe patted him on the back. "I'll stand just inside the door of the hotel, keep a lookout for Mitch." Adam nodded. "Thanks, Joe…for everything." Joe just nodded and grinned. "Well you gonna go see her or not?" Adam took a deep breath and walked up the stairs. His heart began to pound when he found room 12. After reciting a silent prayer for strength, he knocked on the door. He could hear soft footsteps on the other side. The door opened very slightly to reveal two beautiful green eyes staring back at him. He would recognize those eyes anywhere; they were Beatrice's eyes.

"Hello?" The girl timidly asked him as she looked up at him curiously. She thought there was something familiar about him but she just couldn't place it. Adam was in such shock that he could barely move let alone speak, but he found that his hands were moving to shakily take off his hat as he stumbled out, "Good morning, miss. Your father said it was ok for me to come by, is it ok for me to come in?" The girl nodded and opened the door to let him in. Adam got a good look at her as he entered the room. She had long, slightly curled hair extended down her back and wore a beautiful light green dress that accentuated her lovely eyes. She was almost the spitting image of his Beatrice. "Would you like anything to drink sir?" Adam sat down on the chair in front of her and shook his head. "Miss, my name is Adam Cartwright." He watched her face flicker through an array of emotions; shock, disbelief, happiness, sadness, the whole gamut of emotions. She then took a seat right in front of him. "You know who I am?" she asked, her voice fighting to remain on an even tone. "Yes, yes I do," Adam smiled through tears. "You're my baby girl." He fought the urge to sweep her up into a hug when he saw her body stiffen. "Then why did you leave me?" she calmly asked.

The question sent Adam over the edge. Tears began to cascade down his face. "Oh, Elizabeth, I never left you. Never, ever. I…I thought you were dead. Our home was on fire, I don't know if you remember, and I couldn't find you and Mom…" as if on cue he glanced over the room. "Where is your mother?" "She's dead," came the cold response. "She's been gone for awhile now." The girl looked down at her hands. Adam knelt down in front of her and took one of her hands in his. "Liz, I never meant to hurt you. If I had known you were alive I would have come for you straight away. I swear, sweetie." He looked directly into his daughter's eyes, which began swimming with tears. He cautiously reached out to hug her even though his heart was screaming to pick her up and never let her go. When he felt her arms gently wrap around his body he began to cry even more. After a few minutes he let her go and stared into her face as if to try and etch it into his memory. He gently wiped away some of her tears as he smiled up at her. "Everything is going to ok now, alright? God, I can't believe you're actually here in front of me!" Elizabeth smiled for the first time since he had entered the room. The smile tugged on Adam's heart.

Elizabeth began to speak, "I…I thought you were dead…there was a shooting they day you left and we were told you had died." She took a breath. "And then when I found out you were alive, he said it wasn't a surprise you were alive. He said of course you would leave me, you had a better life out here." Adam once again took her into his arms and felt her body shake with sobs. He then got up, pulled his chair closer to her and sat down. "Who told you that I purposely left you?" He rubbed her back to try and quell her rabid sobbing. "M..mmittch." She hiccupped. The girl didn't see it but his face contorted with rage. "Honey, how do you know Mitch?" She began to calm down and wiped away some of the tears in her eyes. "He married Mom after…you died," she laughed slightly. "When Mom died, her family didn't want to raise me so he did. He even wanted me to call him…"

"Dad" boomed a voice from the doorway. Elizabeth jumped, and Adam growled as he saw the image of Mitch Appatow in the doorway. He wanted to hold Elizabeth's hand to soothe her anxiety but he sharply stood up as he saw the second figure in the doorway. It was Joe. Joe was leaning up against Mitch, one of his eyes swollen and puffy while he was gasping for breath. Adam reached the door in three quick strides to catch Joe as he began to sway. "What did you do to my brother?" Adam spat as he half-carried the boy to the couch on the side of the room. "M..m sorry Adam, I couldn't…I couldn't stop him."

Mitch grinned. "Let's just say he learned an important lesson about having some respect for his elders…which apparently not everyone has learned yet" he said as he looked directly at Elizabeth. Adam caught the glance and slowly stood up. Mitch sighed. "I don't know how many times I have to try to get it through your thick skull to always obey my orders. And I believe one of your orders was to not interact with any of the Cartwrights." Elizabeth tried to interject but he cut her off. "Enough. Go to your room and we'll discuss this later." She started to walk away when she felt a strong body brush up against hers. She looked up in surprise to see Adam standing directly in front of her staring down Mitch. "You have nothing to discuss with _my_ daughter. She will be coming back with me to the Ponderosa for good, your job here is done." Adam missed the huge grin that lit up his daughter's face. She couldn't remember anyone trying to stand up for her in a very long time.

Mitch just laughed. "Oh Adam you always were naïve. Did you already forget what a powerful man I am? I've got loads of friends with law degrees back home that would love to take away any rights you have over your daughter after voluntary abandonment." Elizabeth grabbed a fistful of Adam's shirt. This action made Adam even angrier. "Go ahead," he spat, "I've got tons of lawyers here who would love to put you behind bars for kidnapping." Mitch nodded. "Alright Adam, game on. Just know that I'm gonna put you and your daughter through so much hell that you're gonna wish you'd never found her." Mitch backed away from the door to allow them to leave. Adam just threw him a murderous stare while crossing the room to help Joe up with Elizabeth still clutching onto the back of his shirt. Joe groaned. "I'm alright, I'm alright." He stood a little shakily and Adam threw his arm around Joe for support. As they passed through the doorway, Mitch grabbed on to Elizabeth and shoved his face right into hers so that their noses touched. He whispered, "If you leave, you're gonna regret it. When I get you back, I'm gonna hurt you so bad…" Suddenly Elizabeth's face disappeared and Mitch was looking into the very angry face of Adam Cartwright. "Once again, you have nothing to say to my daughter." With that Adam pulled Elizabeth in front of him and the three Cartwrights walked out of the International House together.


	4. Chapter 4

Adam was thankful he and Joe had decided to take the wagon into town. Joe was so sore that the likelihood he could have ridden his horse all the way to the Ponderosa was questionable. Joe sat in the back while Elizabeth sat up front with Adam. The ride home was relatively quiet; Elizabeth made tiny comments about how beautiful the scenery was before her head hit Adam's arm and she succumbed to sleep. Joe was quiet in the back and Adam suspected that Joe was most likely sulking over the fact that in today's fight he wasn't the one delivering the harsh blows. It was just past midday when they arrived at the Ponderosa. Elizabeth was woken up by the sudden stopping of the horses. Adam looked down at her and smiled. "Here we are, home sweet home." They jumped off the wagon and Adam assisted Joe into the house. Joe was laid down on the couch while Adam went to get some ointment to apply to Joe's wounds. Elizabeth sat down right by Joe and looked him over.

"I'm so sorry you went through all this trouble for me, sir." Joe sat up a bit and grinned. "What, this? I've been in worse fights than this, darlin'." And with that he winked. Elizabeth smiled a little. "By the way, what's all this 'sir' stuff about? We're family now, so I am now officially your uncle. Guess that means I have no chance of charming you then." Joe bowed his head slightly. Elizabeth began to laugh, and her laughter echoed around the living room. Adam was on his way back when he heard the sound and his face erupted into a smile; it was the first time he had heard his daughter laugh in 13 years. And especially with the morning they had had, he was extremely grateful to Joe that he had succeeded in making his daughter laugh.

"What's going on out here?" Adam asked as he entered the living room. Elizabeth smiled at him, but it was a shy smile. Joe winked up at his brother, saying, "Well, I was just saying it's such a shame the prettiest little thing to enter Virginia City is my niece." Elizabeth blushed and looked down to the floor. Adam played along with Joe replying, "Yes she is your niece, so you better stop your staring or you'll find you won't be able to sit for a week."

Just then, Hop Sing entered the room. While Adam was acquiring supplies for Joe, he had briefly informed Hop Sing that his daughter would be staying with them and to please get a room set up for her. "Oh, Miss Cartwright, I very happy to meet you." Elizabeth smiled in greeting. Adam introduced the two. "Elizabeth, this is Hop Sing, our cook." She took his hand. "Nice to meet you, sir." "Come, I show Missy Cartwright to her room." She questionably looked at Adam for a few seconds. He smiled. "What, did you expect we were going to have you sleep on the floor? You'll have a room upstairs, right next to mine." She nodded and ascended the stairs.

Adam immediately turned back to his brother. "You alright, Joe? He sure hit you hard. What happened?" Joe winced only slightly when Adam cleaned out some of his cuts. "Yeah I'll be alright. That guy just packs a lot of punch. I saw Mitch walking up to the International House, and he saw me. Started yelling at me, asking me if I was here to see Elizabeth. I told him to mind his own business, and…well you know me." Joe looked at Adam sheepishly. "Yeah, I know you alright little brother."

Joe looked upstairs for a few seconds. Then he turned back to Adam. "She seems awful scared of Mitch, considering he's her step-dad. You don't think he…you know hits her do you? I mean, I think I can testify to the fact that he hits pretty hard." He said as he glanced down at his body. Adam's face clouded over. "I don't know Joe, I just don't know. She is very frightened, and I wouldn't put it past him either." Several minutes went by as Adam silently checked over Joe's body. He growled, "She's so scared she hardly even acts 16. If he did anything unwarranted, I'll…I'lll….I don't want to think about what I'd do to him." Joe nodded in agreement.

Once Joe was all patched up, he sat up and patted Adam's shoulder. "I'll be fine Adam, go talk to your daughter." He proved how fine he was by getting up from the couch. Adam nodded, "Ok, don't do anything foolish when I'm gone. You're gonna be sore for a few days." Joe shot him a grin, "Since when do I ever do something foolish?" Adam shook his head while chuckling and headed upstairs. When he reached his daughter's room, he softly knocked on the door. He opened it to find Hop Sing helping Elizabeth finish making the bed. "Oh, hi Mistah Cartwright, bed all set for Miss here," Hop Sing declared before bowing and leaving the room. Elizabeth smiled at Adam in greeting and took a seat on the bed. Adam pulled a chair up close to the bed and sat in front of her. "So, I think our conversation was a bit interrupted," he said, grinning slightly. She smiled, and Adam thought her smile was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Her smile reached her eyes where they twinkled.

Adam cleared his throat. "I know this is probably hard for you, but what happened to your mother?" The smile slowly drifted away from his daughter's face and there was no evidence that it had existed mere seconds before. Elizabeth shyly began, "Everything feels like it was so long ago, it's all a blur in my mind. I remember when Mitch moved in. I think I was…5…I just remember Mom and him fighting a lot, I remember hearing my name come up in the conversations sometimes…"her face was scrunched as she tried to recall the foggy memories. "Lots of the memories I have of Mom are sad, she just always seemed so tired…then I remember one night…I was 8…she told me that she was going to fix everything and that everything would be ok again…" Elizabeth looked up at Adam with shiny eyes. "That was the last time I saw her. I remember being in my bed that night wondering what she meant when I heard a shot go off in the yard." She sniffed. "I didn't realize it at the time but I think she was trying to run away…bring some help back or something I don't know…all I knew was the Mitch told me Mom went crazy and killed herself…but I think even as a kid I always knew better, she just wouldn't do that to me…" she paused briefly before looking down. "After that, Mitch raised me. When Mom was around, she tried her best to never let me be alone with him…I didn't realize then what she was protecting me from. At first he wasn't around a lot so I pretty much lived with his butler who was nice. When I got older though, he stayed around longer…he would look at me with this weird expression on his face…almost as if he was trying to imagine if I was Mom or something, I don't know." She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and glanced up at Adam. She saw that his chocolate eyes were watery as well.

Adam couldn't believe all of what she went through. This was his daughter…his daughter, he never wanted her to go through so much pain. He pulled his chair closer and gently took her small hand in his rough, calloused hands. "I am so sorry…if I had known you were alive I would've come back for you in an instant…I….I can't…help but feel so guilty.." Elizabeth shook her head. "No, it's not your fault. I'm sure Mitch set up the whole thing to make us believe we didn't have each other anymore." Adam gently wrapped her up in his arms as he inhaled the honey sweetness of her hair that brushed up against his nose. He then pulled back and stared back at her from an arm's length. "Liz, did he do anything bad to you? I…just want to make sure you're okay." She studied his face for several minutes before responding. "I'll be fine…I just don't want to go back." Adam smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "That's not gonna happen, not while I'm around. Come on, let's head downstairs. Dinner should be ready soon." She grinned and followed him downstairs.

That night as Adam climbed into bed, he couldn't help but reflect on the day's events. He had found out that the daughter he was mourning for countless years was indeed alive. He was filled with deep remorse over the fact that he had missed about 13 years of her life, but he was determined to be the years to come memorable for the both of them. He then recited a prayer for his wife's soul; the fact that she was dead hadn't come as quite a shock. After all, he had believed she had passed away for awhile now. Although he had afforded himself a glimmer of hope that maybe she had survived like her daughter, Adam was resolved to not be consumed in mourning but to instead focus on his number one job: keeping his newfound daughter safe.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you for the reviews! Its your reviews that convinced me to continue!

Elizabeth awoke the next morning to the sounds of birds chirping outside her window. Upon opening her eyes, she was startled at first to find herself in strange surroundings when she suddenly remembered where she was. She grinned and lay back down on her pillow, sighing in relief. She couldn't believe that she was actually living with her dad, the man who was supposed to have died years ago like her mother.

She arose from her bed and pulled on the pair of pants Adam had laid on her chair last night. In his haste to get Joe and Elizabeth home yesterday, he completely forgot to purchase his daughter clothes to wear. So he gave her some of Joe's old clothes, and she chuckled to herself as she realized how big Joe's pants fit on her. Luckily, Adam had given her a belt so she adjusted herself to make sure the pants would not fall off before preceding downstairs.

She found Joe sitting all alone at the breakfast table. When he looked up to greet her, he let out a cat whistle. "Wow, you look absolutely stunning in those clothes!" Elizabeth giggled and spun around, "I know, right? I look super sexy." She sat down across from Joe and grabbed a piece of fruit in front of her. "Where's…Dad?" Joe looked at her and laughed. "I guess it's weird having your dad back, right?"

Elizabeth nodded. "It's so strange…I don't know, its hard to get my head around it." She looked around

"Where is he?"

Joe took a piece of toast and smeared it with jam. "He went to town first thing this morning to buy you some clothes."

Elizabeth smirked. "Oh man, you mean I can't wear any more of your clothes? What a shame!"

Joe playfully tossed a breakfast roll at her. Hop Sing just happened to be walking in at that same moment. "Mistah Carwright," he scolded, "why do you insist on throwing food like child? I work hard all morning for you." Elizabeth was trying so hard not to laugh that tears began to stream down her face. Joe's face had turned crimson as he held his hands up. "Hop Sing, I'm real sorry. You know I never meant to disrespect your wonderful food." Hop Sing returned back to the kitchen, muttering under his breath. The minute he left, Joe turned to Elizabeth. "Thanks for getting me in trouble." She simply stuck her tongue back at him.

The conversation continued on to mindless chitchat until Elizabeth glanced up at the clock. "Uncle Joe, when do you think…Dad…should be back?" Joe took a swig of coffee. "Oh not for a little while yet. He just left about an hour and a half ago." He then met the gaze of his niece. His brow furrowed, "Why do you look worried?" She reacted by squirming in her seat. "I…just…don't want him to run into any trouble that's all," she just about whispered. Joe's heart melted at her sincerity. "Oh, Adam, he'll be fine. Anyone around here knows not to mess with a Cartwright," he winked at her. Elizabeth didn't look convinced. "Yeah, but it's not just any trouble I'm worried about," she swallowed, "I'm worried about one person in particular." Joe set down his plate and maintained eye contact with Elizabeth. "You don't have to worry, honestly. I'm sure Mitch knows better than to stir up big time trouble in front of large crowds. And, Adam, well he's the most sensible guy I know. He won't go looking for a fight." She simply nodded. Joe grinned at her, "Hey, what about a game of checkers hmm? We can't just sit around here all day waiting for him." Elizabeth flashed him a pearly white smile and the two spent the next few hours competing with each other over who could be called the king or the queen of checkers.

About midday, the two heard the sound of horses in the front yard. Joe grinned at Elizabeth, "See? I told ya your Dad would be fine." They both jumped up to get to the door when Elizabeth suddenly stopped upon hearing unfamiliar voices. "That's not Dad," she said looking at Joe fearfully. Joe looked surprised. "No, that's my Pa. Him and Hoss must be home early from their California trip. We weren't expecting them until later in the week." When he saw the puzzled look on his niece's face, he explained, "Hoss is your other uncle, he's the middle brother." Joe went out to reach for the door when Elizabeth's hand stopped him. "How are you gonna introduce me? They don't know about me!" She exclaimed, sounding a little hysterical. Joe just smiled, "Nah, they're gonna love you, you'll see. You have nothing to worry about, honest." She muttered, "Yeah but I haven't had the best track record when it comes to grandparents." Before Joe could question her, the front door opened to reveal a very tired looking Pa and Hoss.

"Howdy there Little Joe, I'm plumb tired. Been riding hard to make sure I don't miss Hop Sing's lunch today," Hoss said as he plopped down his tall hat. "And who's this pretty little gal?" he asked Joe as he spied a young lady standing behind his younger brother. Ben had up until this point been taking off his gun belt when he turned around to look at the girl in question. She looked very shy, hiding behind his youngest son. He saw that she was wearing Joe's clothes, and Pa frowned as he wondered about the circumstances that may have lead to her wearing such clothes. "Joseph," Pa stated sternly, "who is this young lady?" Joe just grinned and grabbed Elizabeth's arm to pull her out from behind him. She simply continued staring at the ground. "Why she's a Cartwright, Pa! She just came to town the other day, what are the odds!" Hoss looked confused as Pa frowned even more. "Joe, what do you mean a Cartwright? I don't remember having a young lady of this age in our family." Joe shifted his feet ever so slightly. Suddenly he wished Adam was here to explain the whole situation. He felt so embarrassed for the girl standing next to him who refused to make eye contact with anyone in the room. "Well Pa, she's Adam's daughter. Yeah, he'll explain everything to you as soon as he gets home. Which should be very shortly now," Joe replied cheerfully. Hoss appeared too stunned to say anything while Joe watched his pa's face contort into the weirdest expressions. "I'm sorry, Joseph, I thought you just said she is _Adam's_ daughter." Joe just nodded, "Nah, you heard me right Pa." Before Ben had the chance to reply, the group heard a wagon pull up. This time it was Adam, and Elizabeth allowed herself to breathe a little easier.

Adam jumped down for the wagon and upon seeing his entire family at the door he froze. "Oh, hi ya Pa, Hoss, I didn't expect you two back yet." He made his way to the back of the wagon to unload the huge pile of boxes he had piled there. Joe quickly strode over to Adam to help him carry everything, leaving Elizabeth alone with the two people who she perceived were not very happy to meet her. As Adam walked through the door delicately trying to balance the numerous boxes he held in his hands, Ben walked over to him and placed his hands on his hips. "Your brother has just informed me that a special relative of yours is visiting us at the Ponderosa." His voice was dangerously low and Adam immediately knew how upset his father was. His main concern at the moment, however, was his daughter, who looked as if she was about to cry. "Pa, give me a few minutes, ok? I'll explain everything to you, I promise." And with that Adam placed the packages down near the couch and reached for his daughter's hand. "Elizabeth, you're gonna love everything I bought, ok? Why don't you bring some up to your room to try on while I talk with my Pa here," he said, giving her a gentle smile. She merely nodded and silently picked up a handful of boxes and carried them up stairs. The minute her bedroom door closed, Adam rounded on his father. "Couldn't you have been a little more friendly to her?" he nearly barked. Ben walked around the couch to stand eye to eye with his son. "Oh I'm sorry, I wasn't informed that when I was away any children you might have had would suddenly appear!" Joe stood shocked at the sight of his brother and father glaring down each other. Adam let out a long sigh and rubbed his face. "I guess I should have told you all what happened from the very beginning." And with that, Adam preceded to tell his story. Ben interjected at one part. "So you married when you had your daughter right?" Even though Adam was a grown man, he winced slightly at his father's tone. "Well…not exactly Pa…but we always planned on gettng married…it was just we had been dating for over a year and you know…things happened…"

Pa just nodded, then clapped a hand on his son's back. "Well, that's all water under the bridge now. I believe I have a granddaughter to formally meet," he said with a grin.

Adam just shook his head. Somehow his father always adjusted to every situation perfectly. "Sure, Pa, I can't wait for her to meet you."

Hoss clapped Adam's shoulder. "I think that's great brother. Wow, a gal on the Ponderosa, that'll be interesting."

Joe chuckled from across the room.

Adam smiled at his family, relief over his family's acceptance washing over him. "I'll go bring her down."

A knock came on Elizabeth's door. She quickly sat up from her sprawled out position on the bed as her father's face peeked from around the door. Adam grinned at her. "Hey there, everyone's excited to meet you downstairs."

Elizabeth arched her eyebrow while slightly picking at the blanket on the bed. "It doesn't seem like it." Then she met his chocolate eyes. "I don't want to cause tension between you and your family."

Adam sat down next to her on the bed. "Of course you won't! My Pa was just a little confused that's all, see I never told them about you and Mom."

Elizabeth nodded as she stared intently at the wall.

Adam frowned. "It's not that I was ashamed of you....I just thought you had died…and it was easier for me to just try to move on then to bring everyone down with me."

She looked into her father's face full of concern. She couldn't recall anyone ever being that concerned over her. A slow smile spread across her face.

"I understand." With that, Adam swept her up into a hug.

"Now, young lady, I believe you have so people to meet."


End file.
